Casal Mendes – Rosé, Bairrada, Portugal

Clear & bright, it is golden in colour with traces of green. It has a sweet bouquet of white & yellow roses, peaches and apricots followed by complex hints of minerals. On the palate it’s full & rounded with notes of citrus fruits and minerals, a structured & fleshy with elegance & finesse.

86 Points Wine Enthusiast

“Soft, earthy and gentle, this is already developing and drinkable. It has fresh lemon flavors along with bright pineapple. Finished with bright acidity, it is lightly mineral and crisp at the end. Drink now.”

Product Information

LBV Unfiltered comes from one single year and one single harvest. Whereas its richer cousin, the Vintage, is bottled in the second year, this wine is bottled in the fourth year. Smoother than the Vintage, more developed and easier to drink. It is a powerful, defiant, full-bodied and harmonious wine. It is a wine familiar with the flavours of chocolate and cheese. After the bottle is opened it remains at its best for a further 15 to 30 days, if properly stored. It is a wine that is not filtered and can therefore either be drunk immediately or be left forgotten in a cellar, developing further complexity.

93 Points Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate.
“The tannins are rather drying and aggressive on first pour, even if the big fruit is also front-and-center. It is certainly a very different vision of LBV Port than a lot of people will be accustomed to, but it does begin to come around with extended aeration (and a couple of days in the fridge). Fragrant and laced with strong fruit flavors, this ultimately showed beautifully. It really needs some more time in the cellar, but it is approachable if you give it some aeration.”

Gold Medal Decanter World Wine Awards
“Gold Medal World Wine Awards 2014 – Gold Medal & Regional Trophy – Vibrant and full of rich fruit, this is still youthful in colour and shows both ripeness and pleasing restraint on the nose. Spice notes, violet, lavender and deep, dark fruit flavours have lovely freshness, and firm, ripe tannins give good grip. Nicely defined with plenty of complexity to keep it going.” June 2014

Grapes varieties: Tinta Roriz, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Barroca.
Food pairing: Cheese soufflé, Partridge with glazed shallots and artichokes, Game, Cheeses, Chocolate and red fruits desserts.

Product Information

Ramos Pinto. History.

Founded in 1880 by brothers Adriano and Antonio, this Port house has always had a pioneering spirit. In the early 20th century it became noted for its innovative and enterprising commercial strategies including the distinctive art nouveau advertising campaign.

Among Port producers, Ramos Pinto enjoys the distinction of holding the largest proportion of vineyards in relation to its production, giving them a high degree of control over viticultural methods at harvest time. The House tends 187 hectares (460 acres) of prime vineyards in the Alto Corgo and Douro Superior areas of the famed Douro region, the mountainous valleys formed by the Douro River and its tributaries.

All situated in the areas of the Cima-Corgo and the Douro Superior, the four quintas or estates that make up Ramos Pinto’s holdings are:

Quinta do Bom Retiro: in Pinhão, planted exclusively with red varieties.
Quinta da Urtiga: adjacent to Bom Retiro.
Quinta da Ervamoira: in the far upper Douro, by the Côa river near the Spanish border. Here the grapes grow in dry semi-desert conditions.
Quinta dos Bons Ares: a cooler site with some of the highest vineyards in the Douro. Both red and white varieties ripen here with great natural acidity and fresh flavours.

The award-winning 10, 20 and 30 year old Tawnies are produced at Quinta da Ervamoira and Bom Retiro respectively.

This tawny is a blend with an average age of 10 years. Its brick-red, even golden shades transport us to the Orient of spices, piquant and exotic aromas, with all its mysteries. Its body and its richness of flavour transport us to the place where it was created – “Quinta de Ervamoira”.

Product Information

90 Points Wine Enthusiast
“From the farthest reaches of the upper Douro, Quinta da Ervamoira has produced this sun-drenched wine, with great raisin flavors that vie with a fruity red-berry character. Both sweet from the dried fruits and dry from the intense acidity, with a light cocoa aftertaste, it is a balanced wine that can be drunk now.”  Roger Voss – October 2015

91 Points Wine Spectator
“This Tawny offers a smoky aroma, followed by lithe flavors of salted almond, macaroon and cedar. Notes of red currant and sandalwood emerge on the fresh and refined finish. Drink now.” Kim Marcus – September 30, 2015

90 Points Wine Spectator
“A plush style, offering flavors of hazelnut, dried apricot and butterscotch, showing good complexity and length. The long finish is richly spiced and smoky, with vanilla and marzipan notes. Drink now.” Kim Marcus – December 15, 2014

10 Year-old Tawny, Quinta de Ervamoira
This tawny is a blend with an average age of 10 years. We are now entering the complex world of an aged tawny.
Its brick-red, even golden shades transport us to the Orient of spices, piquant and exotic aromas, with all its mysteries.
This is where the magical path towards the 20 Years and the 30 Years begins.
Its body and its richness of flavour transport us to the place where it was created – “Quinta de Ervamoira”.
It is in this mystical, biblical landscape that this wine is extracted from the schist, from the silence, for our delight.

Grapes varieties: Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca, Touriga Franca.
Storage: Store the bottle upright in a cool, dark place
Temperature: 16º to 18ºC

Prizes:
– 93/100 – Wine & Spirits Magazine, 2011, USA
– 92/100 – Wine Spectator Magazine, 2012, Kim Markus, USA
– 3 Gold Medals – International Wine Challenge, 1995/2004/2011, UK
– Gold Medal – IMBIBE Sommelier Wine Awards, 2013, UK